T abl e 6.3 Distr ibution of n eurohypophy sial pep tid es in the A m phibia
vasoto cin
Other
R ati o Vasoto cin / Mesoto cin
Anura
Rana ternp oraria
(E ng lish frog)
a) l
b)2
R ana esculen ta 3,4 , 7
(E urop ea n edible f rog)
R ana catesbeianar
(A merican bullfrog)
Rana pipiens', 8
(Leopard frog)
Bu]» buf0 2, 3, 9
(European toad)
Bu] o am ericanus"
Xeno pus lae u ise. 4
(South African cl aw ed to a d)
Urodela
N ccturus mac ulo sus'
(M ud puppy)
Triturus alp estr is 3
(A lpine new t)
Sala ma ndra macu losa'?
(Fire-salaman der)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
H ELLERS 'wate r bal ance principle'
O xytocin-like
Mesoto cin
2.7 3
2.9 4
O xytocin -l ike
Mesotocin 7
1.8 6
?oxytocin 8
Mesotocin''. "
3.3 3
O xytocin-l ike
Me sotocin
1.7 3
6.7 4 ':Mesotocin
2.2
O xytocin-li ke
O xytocin-lik e
The ne uro hy po p hyses o f the ti ger sala mand er (A mbystoma tigrinum), congo eel (Amphiuma
means) an d th e mu d eel (Siren lace rtin a) also exh ibi t biol ogical acti vi ty (increased permeability
of toa d bl adder ) consistent w ith th e presence of ne urohypop hy sial hormone!' . Th e neu ro hy po -
phys is of the cra b-eat ing fro g (R ana can criv ora ) co nt a ins a mp hi bia n wate r-ba lance ac tivit y
and rat ' pressor' an d oxy tocic ac t ivi ry'".
':. ve ry young to ad s (a bo ut 10 g)
IHELLER (1941) ; 2AcHER et al. (1960) ; H ELLER and PI CK ERING (1961); 3FoL LET a nd H ELLER
(1964a); 4A CHER et al. (1964 a , b); 6SAWYE R et al. (196 1); 7AcHER, C HAUVET, and CHAUVET
(1969 b); 8MuN SICK (1966); "A CHER et al. (1968) ; IOBENTLEY and H ELLER (1965) ; " BENTLEY
(1969 b) ; 12DICKER and ELLIOTT (1969, 1970 a) .
the presence of a sin gle am ino acid , isoleucine bein g substituted for leucine, and
was called me sotocin by ACHER . Oxytocin has been ident ified ph armacologically
in the neurohypophysis of a single amphibian, Rana pipiens (M UNS ICK, 1966), but
ACHER et al., (1968) have also found mesotocin to be pr esent in th is frog . Mesotocin
is pr esent among reptil es, but is absent from most fish es with the interesting exceptions of some dipnoans (lungfish es) (F OLLETT and H ELLER, 1964 a; SAWYER,
1969). Vasotocin, mesotocin and oxytocin, when injected, can all promote wa ter
rete nti on in various amphibians, but vaso toc in is by far th e mo st active of th ese
pept ides. In Bufo m arinu s it is more th an 200 tim es as effective as me sotocin (F ig.
6.1).
167
vasoto cin
Other
R ati o Vasoto cin / Mesoto cin
Anura
Rana ternp oraria
(E ng lish frog)
a) l
b)2
R ana esculen ta 3,4 , 7
(E urop ea n edible f rog)
R ana catesbeianar
(A merican bullfrog)
Rana pipiens', 8
(Leopard frog)
Bu]» buf0 2, 3, 9
(European toad)
Bu] o am ericanus"
Xeno pus lae u ise. 4
(South African cl aw ed to a d)
Urodela
N ccturus mac ulo sus'
(M ud puppy)
Triturus alp estr is 3
(A lpine new t)
Sala ma ndra macu losa'?
(Fire-salaman der)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
H ELLERS 'wate r bal ance principle'
O xytocin-like
Mesoto cin
2.7 3
2.9 4
O xytocin -l ike
Mesotocin 7
1.8 6
?oxytocin 8
Mesotocin''. "
3.3 3
O xytocin-l ike
Me sotocin
1.7 3
6.7 4 ':Mesotocin
2.2
O xytocin-li ke
O xytocin-lik e
The ne uro hy po p hyses o f the ti ger sala mand er (A mbystoma tigrinum), congo eel (Amphiuma
means) an d th e mu d eel (Siren lace rtin a) also exh ibi t biol ogical acti vi ty (increased permeability
of toa d bl adder ) consistent w ith th e presence of ne urohypop hy sial hormone!' . Th e neu ro hy po -
phys is of the cra b-eat ing fro g (R ana can criv ora ) co nt a ins a mp hi bia n wate r-ba lance ac tivit y
and rat ' pressor' an d oxy tocic ac t ivi ry'".
':. ve ry young to ad s (a bo ut 10 g)
IHELLER (1941) ; 2AcHER et al. (1960) ; H ELLER and PI CK ERING (1961); 3FoL LET a nd H ELLER
(1964a); 4A CHER et al. (1964 a , b); 6SAWYE R et al. (196 1); 7AcHER, C HAUVET, and CHAUVET
(1969 b); 8MuN SICK (1966); "A CHER et al. (1968) ; IOBENTLEY and H ELLER (1965) ; " BENTLEY
(1969 b) ; 12DICKER and ELLIOTT (1969, 1970 a) .
the presence of a sin gle am ino acid , isoleucine bein g substituted for leucine, and
was called me sotocin by ACHER . Oxytocin has been ident ified ph armacologically
in the neurohypophysis of a single amphibian, Rana pipiens (M UNS ICK, 1966), but
ACHER et al., (1968) have also found mesotocin to be pr esent in th is frog . Mesotocin
is pr esent among reptil es, but is absent from most fish es with the interesting exceptions of some dipnoans (lungfish es) (F OLLETT and H ELLER, 1964 a; SAWYER,
1969). Vasotocin, mesotocin and oxytocin, when injected, can all promote wa ter
rete nti on in various amphibians, but vaso toc in is by far th e mo st active of th ese
pept ides. In Bufo m arinu s it is more th an 200 tim es as effective as me sotocin (F ig.
6.1).
167